Filing apparatus



June 16, 1942. c w Y FILING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 19-, 1941 27 TAZ'c'ZZand Maps,

June 16, 1942. c w HAYES I 2,286,911

FILING APPARATUS Filed March 19, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2- Char Zea a Patented June 16, 1942 UNilT-lill) STAT-ES PAT EN T QFFFFl-CE .FILING APPARATUS Charles 'Willard Hayes, Bethesda, Md., assignorto Scholfi'eld Service, 'I nc., New YorlgN. Y., a corporation of New york Applieation Marc-h 19, 1941 s n No. 334,201

19 Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements in rotary filing drums ,of the type wherein a plurality of cards having slots therein are mounted upon the periphery of a drum. Filing apparatus of the type with whichrthe present invention is concerned are shown in the patents to Scholfield, Nos. 2,046,655 dated July 7, 19,36 and 2,231,029 dated Feb. 11, 1941. 7

With filing drumshof the type referred to, the cards are normally placed upon and removed from .a card retaining rail by flexing the indie vidualcards, ,to open the slots therein sufiiciently .to permit them to he placed around the rail. The primary object .of the invention is .to .-pro

vide :new and improved means whereby ,a plu rality of cards may .be placed simultaneously upon and removed simultaneously from the card retaining means without the necessity for flex: ing .or :bending :the cards.

A further .object of the invention is to provide anovel card retaining railstructure having pore tions so formed that the card retaining means maybe moved .to .an inoperative position, to per,- mit the .cards to be removed nfrom the drum en bloc, when adjacent the inoperative retaining tion or head in outwardly projected, operative position where it constitutes .a continuation of the fixed' rail section :or head said means, however, permittinginward movement at .the will of the operator.

An important, advantage of the present inven- .tion is that, when the card retaining means .is

shifted to the inoperative position, it is still physically lattached to .and associated with the .dru1n, so that'it is always readily accessible, will not become :lost, .andcan easily and quickly be restored to the operative .position.

Other and further ,objects .and advantages of the invention will become apparent from aconsideration of the following description of two specific embodiments shown .in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 .is a fragmentary sectional view of a filing-drum, takensubstantially on ,a radial-plane thereof.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary section and eleve 'tion taken .on line 22 of Figure 1.

rise s 3 f t -an eelereed transverse sectional view of one form of movable card retaining rail.

Figurel is aside view of the same.

Figure 5 is a transverse sectional View of a se ondi o mflf th i ve iqn l k on line 5M5 of Fig- :6- v

Figure 6 -i s ;a'par tial section and elevation, taken on line's- 6 of l fig ure 5 Figure 7 is ;a sectional detail, taken on line ;of Figure :6.

iEigure S -is ;a similar section, showing a slight .11os1ifi tion- Th .filins drum t whisb the p es i tio i appli d i m 5 9 the P io illvenbions o fi ho field identi ed bov h d 'l t may comprise spaced heads 19, -l secured together .olt a and a rim listev es a integral s a n n ai 4 zasseq ated ie t The rail comprises a central web 45 and a laterally enlarged head it, adapted to be received in key hole-shapedslots H in cards 18. Ifhe rail Hi is interrup ed a spa ed P 1 1 9 h r t rim is u away r lo ted 1L9- ;Movable card retaining rail sections 20 are associated with the .drumat these points. Each section preferably comprises a base 2i positioned nte ipr y o t e drum a :Web po t on WW nested -to the base and projecting outwardly throughthe slot I9, and a laterally enlarged head gfi shaped like the fixed head it; and normally c s it ns a con i u ti n th The base 2| is provided with a plurality of apertures 2 3, by means of which it is slidably mounted upon pin liceied b th r m Har m the slot J9 and projecting radially inwardly therefrom. Ilhe pins 125 at their'inner ends carry heads 2 5 which support coil compression springs 25?, hearing against washers 28 beneath the base 21. Hence, the :movable rail section is urged outwardly ;by the springs 21 and is normally maintained in ;.posit ion with the rail web and head in alignment with the correspondingelements of the fixed rail sections. When it is desired to remove cards from thedrum en bloc, the movable rail section is simply pressed inwardly to an inoperative position, as shown in dotted lines in Figures 3 and fl. The cards may then be moved circumferentially of the drum to a position above the inwardly moved rail section and removed from the drum.

The form of the invention shown in Figures 5- 8 differs from the first vform in that only the laterally enlarged head portions of the rail are moved t a im e at e pos w n it is sired-to move cards from the drum, the rail web being fixed. The drum comprises a rim 30, heads not shown, and a card retaining rail 32 including a web 3| which is preferably circumferentially continuous. The fixed head 33, however, is interrupted at spaced points where movable head sections 34, 35 are carried by the web. If desired, the web, of course, can be made of a plurality of sections, but a circumferentially continuous web is preferred.

At the points adjacent the plane-sided web portion 36, the rim is preferably shaped to provide grooves or depressions 31, 38 from the bottom of which the web 36 projects upwardly. If desired for simplicity of manufacture, the depressions 31, 38 may be circumferentially continuous, or slots in the rim may be substituted therefor.

The plane-sided web sections 36 are provided with a plurality of substantially radially disposed slots 39, 40, through which pins or screws 4|, 42 extend, the pins being adapted to secure the movable head sections 34, 35 together in predetermined relation to each other and to the plane-sided web portion. The pins also act as guides, to control the inward and outward movement of the movable rail head portions, between the operative and inoperative positions, as shown in full and dotted lines, respectively.

Friction means are provided for retaining the movable head sections in the position to which they are moved by the operator. Preferably, an elongated leaf spring 43 is positioned in a cavity 44 cut in the inner face of the head section 34. The spring is preferably of serpentine form or otherwise bent, so that one portion thereof bears against the bottom of the cavity 44 and another portion against the adjacent face of the planesided web section 36, thereby providing frictional resistance to movement of the head and retaining the same in place.

If desired, a coil compression spring 45 may be positioned in a bore 46 in one of the movable head sections and held in place by a cap screw 47, as shown in Figure 8 to perform the same function in a similar manner.

The invention is not limited to the specific details of construction shown in the accompanying drawings and described above, as many modifications will readily occur to one skilled in the art. Allsuch modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents are within the present invention.

I claim:

1. A rotary filing drum comprising a cylindrical rim, and rail means projecting outwardly from the rim and having a headed portion adapted to be disposed in keyhole-shaped slots in cards to retain the cards on the rim, a section of the headed portion being mounted for inward movement toward said rim to a position out of alignment with the slots in the cards, to permit removal of the cards from the drum en bloc.

2. A rotary filing drum comprising a cylindrical rim, and card retaining means projecting outwardly from the rim and normally extending circumferentially continuously therearound, portions of said means being movable in a radially inward direction relative to adjacent portions and to said rim, whereby said movable portions may be moved out of alignment with cards on the rim to permit removal of the cards from the drum en bloc.

3. A rotary filing drum comprising a cylindrical rim, and card retaining rail means projecting outwardly from the rim and including sections having fixed headed portions and other sections having headed portions movable radially inwardly with respect to the rim and the adjacent fixed sections, whereby when the movable headed portion is moved to the last-mentioned position, cards may be removed from the drum en bloc.

4. A rotary filing drum comprising a cylindrical rim, a normally substantially continuous card retaining rail projecting outwardly from said rim, said rail comprising fixed portions and a movable headed portion, the movable portion being mounted for movement radially inwardly of the drum to a position out of alignment with the adjacent fixed portions, and means normally holding the movable portion in the outer position in alignment with the fixed portions.

5. A rotary filing drum comprising a cylindrical rim, a fixed card retaining rail projecting outwardly from said rim and a movable rail section normally aligned with the fixed rail and constituting a continuation thereof, said movable section being mounted for movement radially inwardly with respect to said rim to a position below the inner edges of cards supported on the fixed rail.

6. A rotary filing drum comprising a cylindrical rim, a fixed card retaining rail projecting outwardly from said rim and a movable rail section normally aligned with the fixed rail and constituting a continuation thereof, said movable section being mounted and guided for straight line movement radially inwardly with respect to said rim to a position below the inner edges of cards supported on the fixed rail.

7. A rotary filing drum comprising a cylindrical rim having fixed card retaining rail sections projecting outwardly therefrom, movable rail sections carried by the rim and normally constituting continuations of the adjacent fixed sections, and supporting and guiding means for the movable sections adapted to enable said sections to be moved radially to a position inwardly of the adjacent fixed rail sections and the rim.

8. A rotary filing drum comprising a cylindrical rim having a circumferentially extending slot therein, a fixed card retaining rail projecting outwardly from said rim and terminating adjacent an end of said slot, a movable rail section having a base disposed inwardly of the rim and a rail portion projecting through said slot and normally disposed in alignment with the fixed rail, and resilient supporting means for the rail base normally urging the movable rail section outwardly, whereby the movable rail section may be depressed against said resilient means to a position out of alignment with the fixed rail.

9. A rotary filingdrum comprising a cylindrical rim having a circumferentially extending slot therein, a fixed card retainingrail projecting outwardly from the rim and terminating adjacent one end of the slot, a movable rail projecting outwardly through said slot and normally disposed in alignment with said fixed rail, and inwardly movable supporting means for said movable rail, disposed interiorly of and carried by said rim, whereby the movable rail may be moved inwardly out of alignment with the fixed rail.

10. A rotary filing drum comprising a cylindrical rim having a circumferentially extending slot therein, a fixed card retaining rail projecting outwardly from the rim and terminating adjacent one end of the slot, a movable rail projecting outwardly through said slot and normally disposed in alignment with said fixed rail, and supporting means for said movable rail, disposed interiorly of said rim and connected thereto and including resilient means urging the movable rail outwardly.

11. A rotary filing drum comprising a cylindrical rim having a circumferentially extending slot therein, a fixed card retaining rail projecting outwardly from the rim and terminating adjacent one end of the slot, a movable rail projecting outwardly through said slot and normally disposed in alignment with said fixed rail, supporting means for said movable rail, said supporting means comprising guide means projecting inwardly from the rim, a connection between a portion of the rail and the guide means, and spring means urging the movable rail outwardly.

12. A rotary filing drum comprising a cylindrical rim having a circumferentially extending slot therein, a fixed card retaining rail projecting outwardly from the rim and terminating adjacent one end of the slot, a movable rail comprising an apertured base disposed interiorly of the rim and a rail web projecting outwardly through said slot and normally disposed in alignment with said fixed rail, and supporting means for said movable rail comprising pins projecting inwardly from the rim through the apertures in the rail base, and compression springs surrounding the pins and engaging said base to urge the movable rail section outwardly.

13. A rotary filing drum having a card retaining rail associated With its rim, said rail comprising a web connected to the rim and a head adapted to be embraced by the edges of apertures in cards mounted on the drum, a section of said head being movable radially inwardly relative to the web to a position below the apertures in the cards on the adjacent rail, whereby the cards may be removed by radial movement over the exposed outer edge of the web when the movable section of the head is in the last-mentioned position.

14. A rotary filing drum comprising a rim, a substantially continuous circumferentially extending web projecting outwardly therefrom, a laterally enlarged rail head carried by the web and adapted to be disposed within keyhole slots in cards on the rim to retain the cards thereon, certain sections of the laterally enlarged rail head being movable radially inwardly relative to the web and the rim, to permit the removal of cards en bloc over the outer edge of the web thereby exposed.

15. A rotary filing apparatus comprising a rim, a substantially continuous circumferentially extending web projecting outwardly therefrom having laterally projecting enlargements adjacent its outer edge forming a rail head adapted to be disposed within keyhole slots in cards on the rim to retain the cards thereon, said laterally projecting enlargements being interrupted at spaced sections thereby providing substantially plane-sided web sections, and a plurality of laterally projecting strips carried by the lastmen'tioned sections and normally constituting continuations of the card retaining rail head, said strips being movable radially inwardly to positions below the inner edges of the cards, whereby the cards may be removed en bloc from said plane-sided web sections.

16. A rotary filing apparatus in accordance with claim 15, characterized in that said planesided web sections are slotted and in that said laterally enlarged strips on opposite sides of the web are interconnected by means extending through said slots.

1'7. A rotary filing apparatus in accordance with claim 15, characterized in that said planesided web sections are slotted and in that said laterally enlarged strips are interconnected by pins extending through said slots, and in that friction means are interposed by the said web section and at least one of said strips to prevent inadvertent movement of the strips.

18. A rotary filing apparatus comprising a cylindrical rim, a substantially continuous circumferentially extending web projecting outwardly therefrom, laterally projecting enlargements carried by the outer edge of the web and constituting a card retaining rail head, said enlargements being interrupted at spaced sections, thereby providing plane-sided web sections, the rim adjacent said plane-sided web sections being provided with circumferentially elongated recesses, and laterally projecting strips carried by the plane-sided Web sections and supported for movement from an outer position where they constitute continuations of the laterally projecting enlargements to a position disposed within said recesses, whereby, when said strips are in the last-mentioned position, cards may be removed en bloc from the plane-sided web sections.

19. A rotary filing drum comprising a cylindrical rim having a card retaining rail projecting outwardly therefrom, adapted to secure upon the drum, a plurality of cards having rail receiving slots adjacent their inner edges, characterized in that a portion of said rail is displaceable inwardly relative to said rim to an inoperative position while still connected to the drum, whereby cards may be removed en bloc from the drum without removing the rail therefrom.

CHARLES WILLARD I-L'AYES. 

